Global Awakening and Winter Solstice Retreat with Meggan Riley

About us

Join Yoga Instructor, Meggan Riley, on a journey to the Sacred Valley for a yoga and meditation retreat at a peaceful, healing retreat center in the Andes Mountains of Peru! This retreat is offered during an incredibly sacred time on the Incan calendar year, as June 21, 2018 marks the Winter Solstice & Incan New Year! For locals, it is a time of celebration, renewal, sun worship, earth honor, and connection to ancestral wisdom! Winter Solstice marks the longest day of darkness in a year, thereafter a shift towards increased solar energy.

Each day we will gather for a mixed level practice, including dharma talk, asana, pranayama, dhyana, mantra, and svasana. Additional sessions for meditation and ceremony will be offered. Students will be asked to create intention in practice, in prayer, in essence, in dharma, and on their life path.

The retreat center’s name translates as “love from the ancient forest.” It is nestled in an oasis of native plants and fruit trees, nourished by a magnificent waterfall in the Sacred Valley of Peru. This lovely spot is in the Andes Mountains and home of the twelve mountains known as Apus—“luminous beings.” Those who come to the center have the opportunity to commune directly with these mountains, as well as with the local curanderos and pacos (healers), who engage with us for ritual and Despacho ceremony.

The guests at this center enjoy delicious meals with locally-grown and lovingly-prepared ingredients. Each guest room is a reflection of the Peruvian culture of the Sacred Valley. The entire center embodies kindness, love, and wholeness that seem to permeate the magical place.

About the
Venue and Teacher

True Nature is an educational travel company which provides full service in the planning, support, and guiding of a diverse catalog of trips to Costa Rica each year. We believe in the power of experiential travel abroad and the multitude of effects it has on one's growth. We have hosted thousands of participants and have been honored to share in the life-changing experiences of our guests.
It is True Nature’s goal to strive meet the needs of our guests and to be of support from the time you first contact us, to the time you land in Costa Rica, through your return home from your journey.
True Nature holds a unique presence in the travel learning industry for various reasons:
Holistic Approach: True Nature knows that there are various ways in which we can travel. During a time when money is tight, time is precious, yet education is priceless, we provide a holistic experience which inspires and challenges our participants. Whether it is practicing yoga during sunrise, sweating side-by-side a local villager while renovating a school, or sitting by candlelight and sharing the meaning of your own “True Nature," we strive to create an enriching and full experience.
Authentic Costa Rica: Costa Rica, like most of the world, is changing quickly. It comes as no surprise that increased attention from travelers has been given to this country. When traveling with TNE, you will experience the authenticity of this unique part of the world. Guided by TNE founders, Joshua and Luna, as well as with our native Costa Rica guides, we will stay off the “beaten path” and explore pristine rain forests and waterfalls, local native villages, desolate beaches, and more. We will adventure through Costa Rica's hidden gems, eat incredible local cuisine, speak Spanish with our “tico” (Costa Rican) family, and experience true immersion through such an intercultural exchange.
Geotourism: Most people are familiar with the term ecotourism, which has been widely-used over the past decade. It is hard to believe that some hotels that solely recycle claim that they fall into this category. True Nature provides an emphasis on geotourism. Geotourism is best practice tourism that sustains, or even enhances, the geographical character of a place, such as its culture, environment, heritage, and the well-being of local residents and their surroundings. All of True Nature’s programs carry a service component, offering a direct opportunity to support geotourism. Each program also has a geotourism report which details how the program is contributing to the region in which we are visiting.

Meggan has been practcing yoga for almost 20 years and teaching since 2009. She is a certified Hatha Yoga Instructor & has completed a 200-hour Anusara® Inspired training. As a teacher, Meggan hopes to inspire students in their practice by providing a safe, welcoming, and challenging environment in which to breathe and move. She is a mother, an entrepreneur, an activist, a music lover, a vegetarian, a self-proclaimed eco-warrior, and deeply committed to teaching yoga from the heart. Meggan offers private and public classes at her home studio, Shine, in Batavia, IL and travels in the US and Internationally offering workshops, training, retreats, festival classes and more! Meggan is a Content Developer & Yoga Instructor for San Diego based, Take Pride Learning, which offers innovative and effective technology-based literacy coursework for young readers. One of her newest ventures is offering Plant Medicine Yoga Classes, which combine the clinical use of Cannabinoid products in tandem with yoga and meditation.

Retreat Guru's Vision

We believe human beings are innately wise, strong and kind. This wisdom, although not always experienced, is always present. Going on retreat is a beautiful way to reconnect to our basic sanity and health. Our aspiration at Retreat Guru is to inspire people to experience authentic retreats and reconnect with their innate wisdom, strength and kindness.